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Prostate Cancer - Reducing Your Risk
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With nearly 25,000 new cases each year, prostate cancer is a
growing problem – but did you know that your diet could go a
long way towards prevention? Find out more about the symptoms,
risk factors and how a healthy diet can minimise them.
Prostate Cancer – The Low-down
With a risk of 1 in 14, prostate cancer is the most commonly
diagnosed male cancer. There are nearly 25,000 men diagnosed
with the disease each year in the U.K.
The prostate gland, as part of the male reproductive system,
secretes prostatic fluid – which contributes to the make up of
seminal fluid. Prostate cancer develops from cells within the prostate
gland, and is a relatively slow developing cancer. This means
that symptoms may not show until the disease is in an advanced
state.
Symptoms
- Frequent need to urinate
- Difficulty starting urination
- Breaks in urination/Non-continuous flow
- Pain during urination
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Pain in the lower back or pelvis
Most of these physical symptoms are also associated with
lesser conditions such as Prostatitis (inflamed prostate), or
BHP – Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (a small increase in the size
of the prostate gland that is not cancerous). Screening for
prostate cancer is available and is generally done by testing
the blood for certain proteins associated with the prostate.
Causes/Risk Factors
- Diet (Likely to be the biggest factor)
Particularly western diets, which tend to be high in saturated
fat.
- High testosterone levels/An imbalance in levels of
oestrogen and testosterone
Hormonal treatments, usually administration of oestrogen, can
be used to help in this situation.
- Age
Risk is lower for younger men – cases in those under 50 are
rare. 85% of deaths caused by prostate cancer are in men over
70 years of age.
- Family
If a member of your family has prostate cancer, i.e.- your
father or brother, the risk of contracting the disease is
higher.
The Role of a Healthy Diet
Your diet can go a long way towards helping to prevent
prostate cancer…
“There is no certain way to prevent
prostate cancer. However…there is some evidence to suggest
that diet is a predisposing factor.”
– The Prostate Cancer Charity
When looking at diet in conjunction with cancer of the
prostate, Saturated Fat is the big evil. Cases of prostate
cancer are more common in westernised countries where saturated
fat is more prevalent in the day to day diet. Incidences of
prostate cancer also rose within eastern countries as they
started to become more ‘westernised’ is also a correlation
between the number of cases of prostate cancer and obesity.
Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork are thought to increase
the risk of prostate cancer as they contain a lot of fat. Up to
as much as 30-40% in cuts from domesticated farm animals when
cooked. Dairy produce has also been linked to prostate cancer
because of its saturated fat content.
Overall, it seems that levels of saturated fat in the diet can
greatly increase the risk of prostate cancer. Therefore, making
sure you have a healthy diet and keeping your intake of fat in check,
can help to prevent/decrease the risk of prostate cancer. As an
added bonus, reducing your consumption of fat can also decrease
the risk of other cancers, as well as diseases such as heart
disease and diabetes.
It is also widely accepted that consuming plenty of fruit and
vegetables can help to prevent cancers because of the
antioxidants they contain. It is recommended that we eat at
least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day.
Preventative Measures
- Cut down on red meats, especially processed forms.
- Avoid fatty foods, particularly those high in saturated
fat.
- Include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your day to day
diet.
- Try to maintain a healthy weight for your height.
Sites For Further Information
www.cancerresearchuk.org
www.cancerhelp.org.uk
www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Statistics and factual figures obtained
from Cancer Research UK.
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